Understand UK Expansion Worker visa

The UK Expansion Worker visa is for a senior employee of an overseas business to come to the UK and set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet. This route has replaced the previous Sole Representative of an Overseas Business route.

For example, if a well-established Chinese company wants to expand their business in the UK and set up a UK branch, they can send a senior manager or specialist employee from their company to the UK. This person needs to apply for a UK Expansion Worker Visa.

To apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa, there’re requirements that both the overseas company and the candidates need to meet.

Requirements for the overseas company

The overseas company needs to:

1. Show proof of UK ‘footprint’, which means need to register a UK branch of the overseas company with the UK Companies House
2. Show the UK branch has not started trading in the UK yet
3. Show a detailed business plan for the expansion to the UK
4. Show evidence of the overseas company has been actively trading for 3 years
5. Show you have sufficient funds to support the UK branch for at least 2 years.
6. Apply for a Sponsor Licence for the UK branch to sponsor the UK expansion worker

However, the requirements and documents might differ depending on the nature of your overseas company. If you’re an overseas company that wants to send your employee to the UK to set up a UK branch, WorkPermitCloud can help analyse your case and provide you with a detailed document list that you need to prepare. If you also would like to learn more about Sponsor Licence application, please contact our Immigration experts.

UK Expansion Worker Visa Eligibility

To be eligible for a UK Expansion worker visa, the candidate must meet the following Eligibility criteria:

1. Must have already work for the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee
2. have a valid Certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from your employer
3. have worked for your employer outside the UK for more than 12 months
4. must be paid at least £45,800 per year or the ‘going rate’ for your job - whichever is higher
5. do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations

Documents required for UK Expansion Worker Visa

To apply for a UK Expansion Worker Visa, the documents the candidate needs to provide are: 

1. the CoS reference number issued by your employer
2. evidence you’ve worked for your employer outside the UK
3. a valid passport (with more than 6 months validity)
4. your job title and annual salary
5. your job’s occupation code
6. the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number  
7. proof of finance if you apply from outside the UK (you need to have £1,270 savings in your bank account for more than 28 days)
8. TB test report if you apply from outside the UK (if you’re from a listed country that requires a TB test)
9. a valid ATAS certificate if your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or higher

If your documents for UK Expansion Worker Visa are not in English or Welsh, you’ll also need to provide a certified translation.

How long is a UK Expansion Worker Visa valid for?

Generally, a UK Expansion Worker visa is valid for 1 year, however, you can extend your stay for another 12 months if you want to stay longer in the UK.

The maximum time you can stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker visa is 2 years.